A canopy bed has a headboard, or tester, with a tall post at each corner at least four feet high that supports a removable fabric cover. It is still found in many homes today and is popular in resorts and hotels for its romantic appeal.
The term canopy comes from 14th century France. The french word pavilion which means the bed curtain goes back to the Latin word canopeum and before that, from the Greeks konopeion, a sofa with mosquito curtains. They were all derived from konops, a mosquito or mosquito.
Considered today as elegant, canopy beds have their completely ordinary and uncomplicated origins. This may interest you to know that canopy beds evolved from a box bed, a common wooden box that encloses a bed.
The first houses during the Middle Ages did not have insulation that could really provide warmth and protection. The houses during those days were made of wattle and mud with thatched roofs. The doors and windows provided an annoying obstruction to the wind. They only filter the snow from the wind when it passes through the house. It was so cold that even if you bundled up in bed with lots of blankets, it wasn’t very hot.
With this need, the box bed with a closing door was designed. In fact, it was helpful to keep the wind away from the bed, as the bed was actually inside the wooden box, trapping the hot air around it. The cold breeze coming through the house may not be strong enough to get through the wall. If you were scared of confined spaces, the boxed bed was really claustrophobic.
Those who can afford the fabric used to maintain body heat around the bed. Only the super rich could afford enough fabric to cover a bed. Those who have less in life found satisfaction inside a wooden box. With the bed on the floor, they placed it in the corner of the room so that only the top and both sides were enclosed.
Another reason for the creation of the box bed was falling objects from the ceiling. The thatched roofs housed caterpillars and other insects that often fell over causing discomfort to those who slept below. For people who can afford the fabrics, poles were placed on top to catch any stubborn pests. In fact, canopy beds were a necessity during those times.
Landlords who lived in castles had other reasons for using canopy beds. In early European castles, the lord, his family, and his servants slept in one large room. They used canopy beds to allow a bit of privacy. When castles had separate sleeping chambers, canopy beds were still used to provide warmth.
Canopy beds may no longer be a necessity today, but simply a wish in France and old England; however, in many parts of the world, they are still considered essential. Where there are mosquitoes, there are nets on canopy beds.
Canopy beds have developed a lot from an extremely conventional drawer bed to the always stylish and always desired bedroom furniture. It comes in different styles and fashions, from carved wood to ornate cast iron. People who love magnificence prefer canopy beds adorned with canopy covers and luxury bedding. The canopy bed was here centuries before and will be here forever.